CM Biren Singh Blames Congress for Crisis: Okram Ibobi Singh Responds
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Imphal, Jan 3 (NationPress) Veteran Congress leader and former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Friday criticized Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh for his ongoing claims that the current ethnic turmoil in the state is due to the failures of the prior Congress administration.
"The Chief Minister is shifting blame onto the former Congress government to evade his own responsibilities and to obscure his inability to effectively address the ethnic crisis," Ibobi Singh stated to the press here.
Disputing Biren Singh's assertions regarding the India-Myanmar border fencing initiative, Ibobi Singh emphasized that it was launched during his term (2002-2017) under the Congress-led government.
He recalled that during his administration, concerns about potential territorial loss from the fencing project led his government to conduct a joint survey with the Survey of India and their Myanmar counterparts for accurate demarcation.
In relation to the issue of illegal immigrants, Ibobi Singh highlighted a statement made by Chief Minister Biren Singh at a media-organized conclave on October 7, 2018, where he asserted that there were no illegal infiltrators in Manipur. He questioned how the BJP government could now hold the Congress accountable for the presence of illegal immigrants when Biren Singh himself had previously denied their existence.
Regarding the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement signed with militant groups in 2008 during his leadership, Ibobi Singh defended this decision, stating its primary goal was to restore peace and normalcy to the state.
"The agreement included measures to protect Manipur's territorial integrity and uphold the rights of its citizens. If the militant groups breached the established guidelines, the state government could take necessary action," he elaborated.
The former Chief Minister further condemned Biren Singh for continually blaming the Congress administration, despite having previously apologized for his earlier statements.
The United Peoples' Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organisation (KNO), which represent a coalition of 23 underground groups, signed a Suspension of Operation agreement with the government on August 22, 2008. Current estimates indicate that 2,266 Kuki cadres are residing in designated camps across Manipur.
Congress and CPI leaders have previously questioned why the Chief Minister and BJP officials remained silent about Prime Minister Modi's lack of response over the 20 months of ethnic violence in Manipur and his absence from the state despite the ongoing suffering of its people.
Earlier this week, Biren Singh stated on X that it is well-known that Manipur's current unrest stems from past actions by the Congress, including the repeated settlement of Burmese (Myanmar) refugees in the state and the signing of the SoO agreement with Myanmar-based militants during P. Chidambaram's term as Union Home Minister.
He reported that the Naga-Kuki conflicts in Manipur led to approximately 1,300 fatalities and displaced thousands.
"The violence persisted for years, with significant escalations occurring between 1992 and 1997, though the most severe conflict took place in 1992–1993. This period, which lasted for five years, was marked by one of the deadliest ethnic conflicts in Northeast India, deeply affecting relations between the Naga and Kuki communities in Manipur," the Chief Minister noted.
"Did Shri PV Narasimha Rao, who was Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996 and led the Indian National Congress during this period, ever come to Manipur to apologize?" he questioned.
Biren Singh also mentioned that the Kuki-Paite clashes resulted in 350 deaths in the state, and during most of these clashes (1997–1998), I.K. Gujral was the Prime Minister.
"Did he (Gujral) visit Manipur and apologize to the people? Instead of focusing on resolving the core issues in Manipur, why is the Congress constantly politicizing the situation?" he concluded.
